


Gestures of Trust: Reversal

by roryteller



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Cross-Posted on Tumblr, F/F, First Kiss, Sparring, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-21
Updated: 2016-04-21
Packaged: 2018-06-03 15:36:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6616039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roryteller/pseuds/roryteller
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I know what it is to lose a sister. Do not lose yours."</p>
<p>A sparring session between Astra and Alex turns into something else, and Kara interrupts at the worst possible moment. An alternate version of the first chapter of Gestures of Trust, from Astra's perspective and if things had gone a little differently.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gestures of Trust: Reversal

**Author's Note:**

> from an anonymous prompt on tumblr: alex/astra prompt: one sparring session turns into a heated one. Kara or Hank finding them in a compromising situation

The first time Astra realized she could love Alex Danvers was at the DEO, in the kryptonite training room.

Oh, she'd been drawn to the human for some time, and she was almost convinced it was mutual. Alex was smart, driven, brave, loyal, and honorable. She was the best humanity had to offer, or close to it. And it didn't hurt that Alex looked great in black, even in the standard-issue DEO gear. But Astra had pushed her feelings aside, in spite of the little moments they sometimes shared, touches that lingered more than they should, eye contact quickly broken.

She'd hesitated, because she was sure Alex didn't quite trust her. And because Alex was her niece's sister. That didn't quite suffice to make them related, but she was sure Kara would be dismayed, and Alex might, too.

Alex removed the kryptonite bracelet from Astra's wrist and her touch lingered a bit too long again, warm even through her dulled senses. The relief was almost immediate, a drop in tension, but she expected it to last only a moment. She looked at the remote Alex held. Was it not working? No, it had to be intentional. Alex was telling her that she trusted her, like an animal presenting its belly. If Astra were so inclined, she could kill Alex with her bare hands, leave her bleeding out on the floor, and Kara might not even be able to stop her in time.

The only protection she had was Astra's good will, and they both knew it. A rush of affection for this noble, foolish human filled her, and she found herself a little off-balance in her surprise.

“I understand your hesitation, but Kara went through the same training when she started here.”

Alex's voice shook her out of her thoughts. She met Alex's gaze, trying to tell her, without speaking, that she was grateful. She rubbed her wrist a little, still feeling the ghost of the bracelet against her skin. “On the contrary. I am simply glad to have that accursed bracelet off, even if it is only for a short time.”

Alex nodded, set down the bracelet, and finally turned on the emitters. Astra felt the familiar fatigue settle back over her, perhaps not quite as heavily as before. “Are you ready?”

Alex was good, no surprise there. She was cagey at first, conserving energy, waiting for Astra to make the first move. In battle, Astra would have played that game as well, sharpening her senses to pick up her opponent's tells, then moved before they had a chance to react.

But this wasn't a battle, and somewhere in between Alex touching her wrist and Alex's foolish but deeply appreciated gesture of trust a fey mood had taken ahold of her.

Well, she thought it was what the humans would call a fey mood. She didn't think it showed on her face, but she felt giddy, daring, and probably a bit foolish herself. So, using all of the speed she still possessed, she struck at the first hint of an opening...

And found herself flying through the air and hitting the floor, the wind knocked out of her. Alex reached out to help her up and she took Alex's hand, a bit angry at herself for getting overconfident.

“Without your powers, you misjudge your speed,” said Alex.

“It has been a long time since I have felt this slow while fighting,” replied Astra. “But I won't make the same mistake again.”

After that, she fought carefully, watching her opponent, listening for any sudden movements, though her hearing was dulled by the kryptonite. She blocked and dodged, striking back when Alex left an opening, but without overcommitting.

Soon, Alex was winded... and grinning, curiously enough. Astra felt the beginnings of a smile pull at her lips and didn't bother to hide it, even pretended to let down her guard for a moment.

As she had expected, Alex attacked. Astra sidestepped it and kicked Alex's feet out from under her, then twisted her arm behind her back, pinning her to the floor. It was an almost familiar position, looming over her, but this time, instead of touching Alex's face, she knelt down, pressing Alex's hand into her back, and gave in to the temptation to let her lips graze Alex's cheek as she whispered, “Thank you.”

When Alex didn't pull away, she carefully released her hold on Alex's arm before lightly kissing her cheek.

Alex rolled onto her back and twisted her fingers in Astra's hair, almost tenderly, brown and white intermingling between her fingers, and for the space of a breath their eyes met, the air between them filling with possibilities.

Then Alex _pulled_ , and Astra came crashing down against her.

“You leave too many openings, General.” There was a laugh in Alex's voice, her breath hot on Astra's ear.

Astra pried her hair from between Alex's fingers and pushed her hand back against the mat so that their hands were almost clasping, her face mere inches from Alex's.

“Only for you, Brave One,” said Astra. Alex's eyes flicked from Astra's eyes to her mouth and back again, and just as Astra was about to reluctantly release her, Alex buried her free hand in Astra's hair and pulled her down into a kiss.

Astra poured all the things she couldn't put into words into that kiss—the desperate joy of survival against all odds, finding someone she liked, respected, could, perhaps, even love after all this time, her fear and hope. It was messy and wet and desperate and tugged at something deep inside her she had once thought Fort Rozz had killed.

And then the door flew open and she pulled away, but Alex's hand clenched around hers, reflexively and she was slow, thanks to the kryptonite, and so she found herself kneeling over Alex, their hands still clasped together like young lovers at the solstice festival in Kandor, staring down a very agitated Kara.

Kara took in the scene, took in their mussed hair and clasped hands and the way Astra was still kneeling there and just glared. <You weren't hurting Alex,> said Kara, in Kryptonese, and somehow she made that sound almost like a bad thing.

<I wasn't,> said Astra, and tried to extricate her fingers from Alex's. She had expected Kara to be upset, but not mad, not like this.

Alex resisted for a moment, then let go with a shrug, sitting up. “Kara, I'm fine, we're both fine.”

<I know,> said Kara, her tone dangerous. <You were kissing. Why were you kissing? My sister and my _aunt_? The reformed terrorist who I'm still not sure I can trust? >

“You can trust her,” said Alex.

Astra twisted to look at her, her eyes widening.

Alex repeated it in Kryptonese, as if for emphasis. “ _Shahr rrip zhed._ Kara, I turned off the dampers for long enough for her to get most of her power back, and even though it's the best chance she's had in ages she didn't even try to touch me until I turned them back on again. She won't hurt me.”

Kara's eyes flashed at that, but she bit back whatever she was going to say. “You know what? Nope. I can't. I just can't deal with this.” She turned on her heels and headed for the door.

“Kara-” Astra put out a hand to stop her, but she shrugged it off.

Kara paused at the door, took a deep breath, and turned to look back at them. “Look, I just need some time, okay? To... process.”

Astra watched her leave, then turned to Alex, who was eying the door as though she wanted to take off after her sister.

“You should go after her,” said Astra.

Alex shook her head. “No, I should get that bracelet back on you and we should talk about what happened and _then_ I should call her.”

Astra nodded. “Put her first.”

“What?” Alex turned off the kryptonite emitters, but the relief was short-lived this time as she immediately retrieved the bracelet.

“Is that not how you say it? I know what it is to lose a sister. Do not lose yours.” Images of Alura flitted through Astra's mind—bitter memories of her betrayal, yes, but also memories of a better time, before Astra's mission and Alura's work drove them apart.

Alex closed the bracelet around Astra's wrist. This time, her touch didn't linger. “She'll come around. We've been through too much for her to stay mad at me over something like this.”

Astra heard a note of doubt in Alex's voice, saw it in the twist of her lips. “But if... if you have to choose...”

Alex stepped back. “If it comes down to that, I'll choose Kara every time. Nothing personal.”

“So will I.” It could have come out as a challenge, but instead it was just flat fact. “But if she relents?”

“If she does, I'd like another kiss,” said Alex with a hint of a smile. “But first things first. I'm going to talk to Kara and try to get her to talk to you. She wouldn't distrust you this much if she'd spent as much time with you as I have.”

“I... thank you.” Astra would not have expected this much consideration, after everything she had done. “Good luck.”


End file.
